


Elements of My Demise

by hatoainippon



Category: ATEEZ (Band), Stray Kids (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Dark, Drug Use, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Self-Harm, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:06:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29128455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hatoainippon/pseuds/hatoainippon
Summary: ᴀꜱ ʜᴏɴɢᴊᴏᴏɴɢ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇꜱ ʜɪꜱ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ꜱᴇᴍᴇꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴛʏ ɪɴ ꜱᴇᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ, ʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴇᴛꜱ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ— ꜱᴏɴɢ ᴍɪɴɢɪ. ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱʜɪᴘ ʙʟᴏꜱꜱᴏᴍꜱ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ, ᴄᴀᴜꜱɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴘᴀᴛʜ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ. ᴅᴀʏ ʙʏ ᴅᴀʏ, ʜᴏɴɢᴊᴏᴏɴɢ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇᴍᴘʟᴀᴛᴇꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ᴠᴀʟᴜᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ ʜᴇ’ꜱ ᴡɪʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏꜱᴇ ɪɴ ᴏʀᴅᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ. ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴀꜱ ʜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪɴɢɪ ᴄʜᴀʀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʀꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪɴ ꜱɪᴍᴜʟᴛᴀɴᴇᴏᴜꜱ ᴄʜᴀᴏꜱ. ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʟʟ ʟᴀᴜɢʜ, ᴄʀʏ, ʀᴀɢᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜰɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜰʟᴀᴍᴇꜱ ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ. ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀɪʙᴜᴛᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴏɴɢᴊᴏᴏɴɢ’ꜱ ᴇʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ 𝕯𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖊.This story is a dark AU where HongJoong is a college freshman grappling to find himself outside of the shadows his family has cast on him. MinGi is a college student with similar interests to HongJoong. They both enjoy dancing, and MinGi is a part of the college's dance team.HyunJin and MinGi are childhood friends that have been inseparable for quite some time. The quickness with which HongJoong and MinGi become close leaves HyunJin with a jealous, bitter taste in his mouth.The partying and use of drugs quickly transcends into chaotic turmoil that leaves everyone fighting to survive.
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Kim Hongjoong/Song Mingi
Kudos: 10





	1. I. Once is All it Takes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scene & Character Reference Page
> 
> Main Characters
> 
> Kim HongJoong:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 18 // November 7, 2002 // Freshman
> 
> Height: 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Red // Blue // Gray
> 
> Dwelling: On Campus (Seattle University) // Modern 2 bedroom x 1 bathroom Layout
> 
> Song MinGi:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 20 // August 8, 2000 // Sophomore
> 
> Height: 6 feet (183 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Dark Brown // Highlights
> 
> Dwelling: Off-Campus Downtown (Seattle University) // McKenzie Seattle 2x2 Loft Style Penthouse Layout with Spiral Stairs
> 
> Hwang HyunJin:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 20 // March 20, 2000 // Junior
> 
> Height: 5 feet 10 inches (179 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Yellow Blonde // Strawberry Blonde // Pink
> 
> Dwelling: Off-Campus Downtown (Seattle University) // Premiere on Pine 2x2 Layout with Balcony
> 
> Choi YeonJun:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 21 // September 13, 1999 // Senior
> 
> Height: 6 feet (183 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Teal Blue // Pink
> 
> Dwelling: Off-Campus (Washington State University)
> 
> Hwang YeJi:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 20 // March 20, 2000 // Junior
> 
> Height: 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Ash/Gray Blonde with Pink and Teal Streaks in Back
> 
> Dwelling: Off-Campus (Downtown Seattle)
> 
> Seo ChangBin:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 21 // August 11, 1999 // Junior
> 
> Height: 5 feet 6 inches (167 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Black
> 
> Dwelling: Off-Campus {Not Downtown} (Washington State University)
> 
> Lisa Manoban:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 19 // March 27, 2001 // Freshman
> 
> Height: 5 feet 6 inches (167 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Brown with Highlights & Bangs
> 
> Dwelling: On Campus (Seattle University) // Modern 2 bedroom x 1 bathroom Layout
> 
> Park SeongHwa:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 19 // April 3, 2002 // Freshman
> 
> Height: 5 feet 10 inches (179 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Black // Gray
> 
> Dwelling: On Campus (Seattle University) // Modern 2 bedroom x 1 bathroom Layout
> 
> Jeon JungKook:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 22 // September 1, 1998 // Senior
> 
> Height: 5 feet 10 inches (179 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Black (Long Middle Part)
> 
> Dwelling: Off-Campus (Seattle University) // 2x2 House Just Outside City
> 
> Kim TaeHyung:
> 
> Age & Birthday: 23 // September 1, 1997 // Graduated
> 
> Height: 5 feet 10 inches (179 cm)
> 
> Hair Color(s): Black
> 
> Dwelling: Off-Campus // 2x2 House Just Outside City

Chapter I: 

_ **Once is All it Takes** _

{Songlist for this Chapter: (please play in order for the best experience) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6KWTRZnLoluNAXJXuKxRXM) ; [YouTube](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR8E09wF2qDZiAl_HX1EfpdBVu-FsaKAu)}

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On HongJoong's first day of college during the crispy fall season, he meets a new friend. A familiar face. Song MinGi intrigued Hong the first night they met at the Seattle University's club exposition. The university always held the event the weekend before classes started. It was a customary event that first-year students were encouraged to attend. HongJoong looked up at the white and purple banner that read 'Welcome Class of 2023!' The 18-year-old boy smiles to himself just slightly. He couldn't believe that he managed to make it this far... he actually managed to do so. HongJoong was seldom proud of himself, so the feeling is still a bit unusual. The cherry-haired boy walks through the ballroom where the event is being held. If he's honest, he finds it a bit overwhelming. 

'Snap...snap.' The sounds of rubber snapping against Hong’s wrist ground him back to reality. His therapist suggested this coping tool for Hong's anxiety, and, so far, it's been working. Every time he feels panic start to weigh on his chest, he snaps the rubber band twice. 

"Hey, do you dance?!" A deep voice exclaims from behind. Startled, Hong jumps up and quickly turns around. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." The man speaking to Hong was a lot taller than him, and he had a gummy smile about him. 

Hong lets out a relieved sigh and offers a similar smile. "That's okay~ uh, yeah, I dance." Naturally, the two start walking back towards the information booth. 

"Dope, dope. What kind of dancing?" MinGi asks while slightly bent over, shuffling through a few colored pieces of paper at the booth table. HongJoong begins to take note of MinGi's outfit. He's wearing a white tee that's tucked into a pair of light wash distressed denim jeans that exposed his knees. It's paired with a set of cream-colored huarache sneakers. There's a silver necklace that dangles from MinGi's neck. 

"Mm, I do contemporary and hip hop... I'm not sure which one I like more." Bashful, Hong lifts his hand to his neck and scratches at it softly. MinGi notices that HongJoong has a... unique sense of style. The red-haired boy is wearing a black tee with the sleeves rolled up, tucked into a pair of regular jeans, and a 3/4 red plaid skirt. HongJoong also has a couple of his fingernails painted black. 

"Ahh, that's awesome!" MinGi smiles. "So this booth is for our campus dance team called Elements, the second E is backward, and the third is a V, in case you were wondering." MinGi chuckles to himself. He seems to be aloof but present. Maybe it was the joint he smoked with his best friend earlier. Oops. 

HongJoong lifts his head to analyze the team's banner. He liked that some letters were reversed or changed, and the font they used, oh, also the fact that the letters were in all caps. 'I'm not sure why they used a V for the third E...' he thinks to himself as MinGi continues to talk. 

MinGi hands Hong a piece of paper with all the information available. "We're an all-male competition team, so we do travel from time to time... uh.. oh yeah, we're a hip hop group, but we also incorporate contemporary elements in our pieces." MinGi looks back at the banner then back at Hong. 

Interested in becoming a part of a team, Hong asks, "How would I apply? Or.. audition?" He’s decided that he wanted to give it a try. 

"We're holding auditions next Saturday from 8 AM to 7 PM! There are three parts to the audition. The first part will have hip hop choreography that you have to learn in groups of 5. From there, we'll make cuts. After that, we move onto a more contemporary hip hop style that's also performed in smaller groups, depending on the number of people who make the first cut... Then, we have my favorite part, the freestyle solos. You'll find out if you made the team the day of auditions. Oh, also, there is a $20 audition fee that can be paid via cash, card, or Venmo. If you make it past auditions, we have probation week where we do conditioning every other night of that week. Once you've passed probation, you become a member. From there, we practice twice a week unless there's a competition we're going to." MinGi sounds like he's on a 3 AM infomercial with 30 seconds left to get the disclaimers out... or how the pharmaceutical companies tell you all the ways you could die if you take their medication. Erratic. Or was it passion...? ‘Either way, take a breath, dude.' Hong thinks to himself. 

"Mm, that sounds awesome! Is there a fee to join the team if you pass auditions?" Hong inquiries. His financial situation isn't the best for reasons he didn't want to think about right now. 

MinGi nods in response. "But it's not anything crazy like some of these frats or sororities... You also get a lot of stuff with your money, like warmups, custom shoes, a water bottle, towel, AirPods, costumes, and a bunch of other stuff that I can't remember right now. Oh, and you get to keep all of it. Do you have any questions I could answer?"

Hong shakes his head. MinGi genuinely piqued Hong's interest. It wasn't just his physical appearance or the way he dressed... it was more-so the way he carried himself and his presence. "Oh, I do have one question. How do I sign up for auditions?" 

MinGi's grin widens as he hands Hong the iPad with an email sign up sheet. HongJoong takes the iPad from MinGi and starts entering his information. Hong was excited to audition and make some new friends. 

"HongJoong Kim." MinGi reads aloud after receiving the iPad back from Hong. "Nice to meet you. I'm MinGi." MinGi reaches forward to shake Hong's hand. While the two shake hands, MinGi says, "I'll see you next Saturday!", breaks the connection then walks back towards his teammates. Hong gives a small wave and makes his way towards the rest of the club booths. 

~*~ 

While seated in the Media and Society class, MinGi takes note of a familiar red-haired boy making his way into the classroom. He's ditched the skirt and went for a more casual look. Even though he's dressed comfortably, Hong is well accessorized. MinGi looks up at Hong and lifts his hand. A smiling Hong makes his way to the empty desk next to MinGi. He places his Herschel backpack on the desk then takes his seat. He looks refreshed for being at an 8 AM class. 

"Hey! I didn't know you were in this class." Hong mentions. He rests his elbow on the desk and places his hand under his chin— eyes locked with MinGi's as MinGi removes his Elements AirPods from his ears, ceasing the rap music he was playing. 

"The world that's small keeps getting smaller." MinGi grins that gummy grin of his. "This is usually a sophomore class, but you probably had some credits coming into college, right?" That was usually the case when freshmen registered for this class. 

Hong nods. "Yeah, I'm technically a sophomore by credit, but that doesn't really mean anything... I'm still pretty new to this experience. For example, I showed up to class 15 minutes early..." Hong plunges his face into his hands and shakes his head, playfully embarrassed. 

MinGi erupts into laughter and looks around, noticing that the two were the only ones that showed up early to class. "It's probably the Korean in us… We made it here before the professor." 

The shorter of the two lets out a feminine giggle and starts to rummage through his backpack for his laptop. Honestly, Hong prefers handwriting his school notes, but this class requires him to use a laptop to record the lectures. He could always listen to the lecture later and take notes then. He wants to be present for class and truly absorb what Professor Lane has to say.

“I assume you’re a business major?” MinGi probes. He didn’t actually think that Hong was a business major, but MinGi’s dad always taught him that ‘you never let people know what you’re truly thinking. You remain unpredictable that way. Knowledge is power.’ MinGi didn’t want Hong thinking he was assuming things about Hong’s sexuality, so he chooses his words carefully. 

Hong, opening up his note-taking application on his laptop, responds, “I’m not trying to crunch numbers for the rest of my life~ I’m a Fashion Design and Photography major. I’m not sure what I wanna do with it yet, though...” He pouts his lips. “What about you, MinGi?”

MinGi nods. It appears that he was right. He’s very intuitive when he wants to be. “I’m doing Integrative Health & Wellness Studies.” MinGi pulls out his own laptop from his black Burberry backpack and sets it on the desk.

"Ah! Would you be interested in coming to a little mixer tonight? It's just gonna be my close friends and me. My best friend is letting us use his apartment to kick off the new semester." MinGi leans back in his seat, awaiting a response. To MinGi, Hong looked like he needed help finding parties-- lit parties. Yes, Seattle is LGBT+ friendly, not that MinGi was jumping to any conclusion, but things ran a bit old school at this university.

"Mm, that sounds fun! It sounds like it's off-campus, though... I wouldn't have a ride, and I don't feel comfortable taking rideshares." HongJoong looks down and...

'Snap. Snap.' MinGi takes note of Hong's weird rubberband habit but decides not to make him uncomfortable by mentioning it. Besides, it wasn’t any of his business. He knows how to read the room.

"I mean, I could give you a ride if you want? I live downtown, though, and I'm done with classes by 3. If you're cool with hanging out at my place until the party, I'm cool with it, too." MinGi offers, hoping that Hong says yes. Hong looks like the type of friend that MinGi needs right about now. Clean and pristine, with great fashion taste. 

Hong looks up and gives a slight nod. "Okay, yeah! I finish at 12... I live in Blake Hall... Can you meet me there when you're finished with classes?" 

"I gotchu. That's the dorm with the floor for international students, right? Were you born in Korea?" MinGi inquires, moving his head from side to side to crack his neck. 

"Mhm. My mom and I moved to the Bay Area when I was 14. She thought it'd be good for me to be around people of different cultures. I'm assuming you were born here?" Despite not being born in North America, Hong's English is pretty good. You can hear his accent when he says certain words, but he sounds almost as accurate as MinGi. 

Hong unlocks his laptop and begins typing up his digital notes. He always made sure to put the class name, date, and chapters covered on the top right-hand corner. From there, he breaks it down by section, depending on what the lecturer focuses on in that class. Even though he’s anxious about his first class and wants to do well, Hong is really enjoying talking to MinGi. It’s sort of relaxing for him. 

"I was actually born in Korea, but I moved to Cali when I was six. I moved to Seattle for college." MinGi smiles. He’s twenty years old now. He doesn’t mention to Hong, or anyone, that he only moved here with his older brother, not his mom or dad. He barely knew his mom. From what MinGi remembers, his parents didn’t get along, and most times, things would get violent between them. MinGi loved going shopping with his mom. She promised that she would teach him to play the piano, but one day, when he was just about 5 years old, his mom decided to pick up and leave. She left all of her clothes and personal items at the house they lived in. She didn’t leave a note or even kiss MinGi goodbye before her departure. It’s like she just disappeared into the night. 

The situation tore MinGi up for a few years, but he never once brought it up to his dad. He worried that his dad would get upset and direct his anger towards him and his brother. For a 5-year-old, his emotional intelligence was stellar. As hard as it was for him, though, MinGi carried on like he never had a mother and never spoke of her… never speaks of her. He’s never been able to process that trauma, so it manifests in his behavior from time to time. Once he turned 13, MinGi started to idolize his dad. He wanted to be as prosperous, if not more successful, as his father. He started listening more closely to his dad’s lessons and teachings, and he still uses what he’s learned today. Life was like a game of chess for MinGi.

As the two continue to talk, the empty classroom begins filling up. The professor walks in and begins setting up his computer. Hong, being the good student that he is, lets MinGi know that he wants to pay attention to his first lecture. The two agree to meet around three, exchange Snapchat usernames, and turn their attention to Professor Lane. 

All in all, though, Hong is happy that he took MinGi up on his invite to a party. He's excited to start experiencing college. 

~*~ 

It was the first night of HongJoong's real college experience in the states. Of course, like everyone else who wasn't accustomed to the party scene, HongJoong had butterflies in his stomach. Although – at this point, he wasn't sure if the butterflies came from how he felt being around MinGi or if it was since this was his first real party since leaving his parents' house. Nevertheless, HongJoong was determined to make this night memorable.

MinGi had met HongJoong at Hong’s dorm on campus right at three pm, as they’d discussed. Hong sent MinGi a snap message to let him know that he’d wait in the parking lot that was designated for residents in his dorm building, as well as the two adjacent halls. HongJoong waited for MinGi at the bus bench where the shuttle picks up and drops off students. While waiting for MinGi to arrive, Hong began to experience some anxiety. Most of his worries came from the fact that he didn’t know MinGi and that he shouldn’t trust strangers. He’s definitely heard stories and experienced things no one should ever have to endure. Before he can get too deep in his anxiety, he notices a blue model Y Tesla SUV pull forward and stop just before him. Whoever’s driving is playing loud music and has a pretty spectacular sound system. ‘There’s no way that’s MinGi’s car.’ Hong thinks to himself. 

MinGi unlocks the car doors, rolls down the passenger window, and flashes Hong a friendly wave. He couldn’t be too sure from the dark, seemingly illegal, tints if MinGi was behind the wheel. Once the door unlocks, HongJoong presses his thumb on one end of the handle, grabs the now-protruding piece of the handle, and pulls forward. ‘Woah…’ he thinks. That car probably costs about two years of tuition. Hong places his tote bag in the space in front of his feet and buckles up. In his bag, Hong has his makeup bag, cologne, deodorant, a small toiletries bag, a phone charger, anxiety and mood-stabilizing medication, and his skincare products. He flashes MinGi a warm smile in return and watches as the taller of the two drives off. 

The ride from campus to Downtown Seattle takes MinGi a total of 24 minutes. Nothing much happens during the drive, partly because of how stoned MinGi is, and how shy Hong is. The two simply enjoy listening to the music that MinGi is playing, excited for the evening to come. The two stop to get food, but Hong declines, stating that he’s already eaten. This is a lie for the most part but MinGi doesn’t know him well enough to figure that out just yet, or so Hong thinks. They spend a few hours at the mall before going back to MinGi’s place. MinGi ran out of his favorite perfume and wanted to get some shopping in before tonight’s party. It’s brand name, of course, but it’s a name that HongJoong has never heard of before. Hong blesses MinGi with his brilliant fashion sense while the two drag about the store. He makes sure not to add too much femininity to the clothing he selects for MinGi. After the mini shopping spree, the pair head to get boba tea and head back to MinGi’s apartment. 

~*~

"Are you almost done… You've been in there for at least an hour, and I'm not even sure what you're doing right now." MinGi states in a slight tone of annoyance. He is standing at the bathroom’s doorway, which is open, and watches as HongJoong takes his sweet fucking time to craft each and every hair of his eyebrows perfectly. There’s makeup residue all over MinGi’s white marble quartz bathroom counter, his right eye nearly twitching. He liked for his apartment to stay clean. He wasn’t a germaphobe, per se; rather, he liked things the way he wanted them. ‘Lack of order breeds chaos.’ He can practically hear his dad’s voice in his head. Usually, he wouldn’t mind if his party guests were taking too long to get ready, but this is his first event as the host of the party. The fact that they were already running late did not help ease MinGi’s anxiety. Watching Hong spill makeup all over his virgin counters certainly didn’t help. “Make sure you clean my counters later.” He adds, unable to control his impulse to get annoyed. He is used to having things exactly as he wanted since he’s lived alone for a few years now. 

MinGi has a two-bedroom apartment, even though he lives there alone. Hong isn’t sure what or who the second bedroom was for, but something tells him not to ask. After all, MinGi was kind enough to pick him up from his dorm and let him get ready in his nicely lit bathroom. The bathroom they’re in is the guest bathroom, located near the second bedroom and by the foyer. The foyer had an expensive-looking shoe rack where MinGi puts out the shoes he uses often, i.e. sneakers, dress shoes, etc. The place is spacious and luxurious. Hong has never seen a loft apartment downtown before. He thinks it’s pretty neat that MinGi has two levels within his apartment. He hasn’t seen upstairs yet, but he assumes that that’s where MinGi’s bedroom is. The stairs are plated in chrome and spiral upwards. Hong wondered if MinGi ever gets lonely living by himself. He wondered if MinGi’s brother ever visits him. The thought of living alone scares the 18-year-old. So far, Hong is happy with his new roommate back at his dorm. He couldn’t fathom living on his own. 

"I'm sorry, I swear I am almost done. I just have to finish my eyebrows, and then we can go." HongJoong states while trying to perfectly align both of his eyebrows. MinGi’s LED bathroom mirror was really coming in handy. Though, seeing his pores and facial features so up close adds to Hong’s insecurity. For some reason, he could not get his eyebrows as perfect as they usually are when he goes to class. 

MinGi huffs. He has already expressed to Hong that this was his first night as a promoter, and he had to make sure that he was punctual. Hong was no stranger to MinGi's lack of patience while he was doing his makeup. For one, he wasn't a girl, so most of the people that he dated or hung around have always had negative comments about how long it takes him to get ready.

"I honestly just don't understand why you think you need all that shit. You look fine, and I'm pretty sure that no one's going to be able to tell if your eyebrows are uneven in the dark…" At that point, MinGi decides to walk into the bathroom and takes a seat on the closed toilet bowl. He pulls out his phone and starts going through his friends’ Snapchat stories, trying to get a feel for what the party was like – even though it was only 10 PM. 

HongJoong parts from his focus for just a moment to look at his older friend and lets out a small sigh. "I'm not doing my makeup for anyone else but me…" He mutters softly, almost as if offended. It's not like he expected his friend to understand why he felt the need to get fully dolled up every day, and he most certainly did not expect MinGi to understand why it took so long to get ready, being that his friend is a boy. 

MinGi falls silent for a moment. Instinctually, Hong takes this personally. Hong figures that he must've said something to upset his friend. "Hey… I didn't mean to make you feel weird." After making that statement, Hong puts down his Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow pencil on the counter and shifts his focus to MinGi. "I just need you to know that most of what I do is for myself and my sanity."

Hong holds back a stifled chuckle, knowing that that wasn't the full truth, but it was the most important part of the truth. When he realizes that MinGi is too wrapped in his phone to even hear what he has to say, Hong picks the pencil back up and finishes outlining the tail of his left eyebrow. He shifts his head to the left into the right, carefully analyzing to ensure that no hairs have been displaced in the process of trying to explain himself to his friend. 

"I'm ready!" Hong exclaims, hoping to grab MinGi's attention. Finally, MinGi puts his phone away into his pocket and casts a gaze at Hong. He wasn't going to lie; Hong looked more alive, awake, and refreshed. 'Maybe the hour he took to perfect his eyebrows was actually worth it…' MinGi thinks to himself.

"You look great," MinGi says, halfway out the door. He wasn't sure why, but part of him didn't want to focus too much on his friend's physical appearance. "I'm going to take a couple of more shots before we head out, but I already called the rideshare service." At that, MinGi exits the bathroom and enters the living room where the cheapest tequila bottle is laid ready on the counter. Neither MinGi nor Hong is old enough to drink legally, but even though MinGi had enough money to afford a more superior bottle, this one was a gift. He hated being wasteful. 'No drop shall go to waste,' he'd say. Naturally, Hong follows suit. 

Suddenly, a wave of anxiety hits Hong. The last time he was at a party, well… Let's just say that he didn't remember much, but what he did remember was enough to deter him from future social gatherings. His breathing becomes labored only slightly. MinGi offers him one of the two shots that he poured. Hong takes a deep breath before accepting the liquid courage. 

The two touch glasses, and within a blink of an eye, the burning liquid finds its way down both of their throats and into the pits of their stomachs. Hong makes a face at the burn, though, if he was being honest, his facial expression could be attributed to the fact that he's worried he might've ruined his lip stain. 

"I'm just gonna run to the bathroom really quick to make sure that I didn't mess up my makeup… I'm pretty sure I felt some alcohol pour down my chin." Hong states, already making his way back to the bathroom but not before MinGi can grab his hand and stop Hong dead in his tracks. 

"No, no. The Uber is almost here. We need to go downstairs right now. I would suggest taking another shot or two if you're that worried about how you look…" MinGi states, heading to the foyer of his two-bedroom apartment to put his shoes on. MinGi decides to go with black boots tonight.

Not wanting to upset his friend, Hong follows MinGi towards the door and begins strapping on his white platform boots. They were new and smelled like fake leather. He couples the shiny boots with a pair of light-wash denim jeans. One of the pant legs had a distressed hole that HongJoong can fit his hand through. His black and white patterned button-down shirt is tucked neatly into the waistband of his pants, the fabric hugging his small waist. After he finishes strapping on his new boots, Hong takes a seat on the bench where the shoes get stored, waiting for his friend. MinGi, distracted by Snapchat, simply stands there, kind of hunched, scrolling what seems endlessly. Hong fluffs his red hair a bit, hoping that the new styling cream he used holds up for the evening. 

After a few moments of silence, HongJoong decides to speak up. "Aren't we leaving, Hyung?" Immediately, Hong starts biting at his lower lip, something he often does when he's anxious. It takes MinGi a moment before he finally slips his phone back into his pocket. 

"Yeah, I was just waiting for the Uber. He's outside; we should head down." MinGi slips his denim flannel jacket over his black turtleneck, slaps both pockets on his distressed black jeans twice, and then proceeds to unlock the front door. HongJoong shoots up from his seated position on the piece of furniture and follows his friend out. 

As the two walk down a long hallway towards the exit, the warm tequila starts to hit HongJoong. It leaves a fuzzy sensation along the lining of HongJoong's stomach. 'My skin is probably warm to the touch…' He thinks to himself. Hong watches as MinGi slinks into the backseat of a gray Kia Sorento. With his stomach in a warm knot, Hong follows his older friend into the Uber. 

The pair don't really talk during the ride to the party. They didn’t really talk on the way to MinGi’s earlier either. HongJoong did a lot of staring out the window, his soft locks cushioning his forehead from the cold glass as his head pressed against it. In a tipsy state, he's praying that this party wouldn't end up like the last one he attended. MinGi had many song requests for the Uber, most of which consisted of heavy bass and 808s. 

Finally, more than halfway through the trip, MinGi turns to HongJoong and starts smirking. HongJoong has a look of confusion on his face. Why was MinGi grinning at him? 

"I'm starting to feel really nice~" MinGi all but whispers. MinGi starts to lean in closer in an attempt to speak quietly and continues to talk to his shorter friend. "I can't wait to dance tonight. And drink more…" MinGi rests his head back on the seat in a slightly aggressive manner. The liquor he's ingested was now coursing through his veins as well. 

HongJoong's hand flies up to his mouth to stifle a laugh. He's not sure why, but everything's stupid funny right now. This is his first time seeing MinGi this loose. He likes seeing MinGi this comfortable with him. HongJoong puffs his lips out and leans over to his friend, now eye-level with MinGi's long neck. "Guess what?" The red-haired boy asks while his hand comes up to MinGi's face. 

MinGi swallows a good bout of his saliva before looking HongJoong in the eyes. "What?" He rebuts, suddenly taking note of Hong's facial features. He has a long but pointed nose. His nostrils were pretty even. His lips had a cherry tint to them, which MinGi knew was makeup, but, still… they looked.. full and lively. Right as HongJoong smiles at him, MinGi notices how straight and white HongJoong's teeth are. 'He must use expensive toothpaste…His dentist must be proud of him.' 

HongJoong notices that MinGi is staring, and suddenly, his brain starts to remember all the things it doesn't like about HongJoong's face. He hated how large his nostrils were. He always wished that his lips and teeth were a bit smaller. He likes the shape of his eyes, but he hopes that his eyebrows were just two more centimeters apart. 

"Hyung," Hong starts, feeling the panic start to weigh on his chest. "Why are you staring at me like that…? Did I mess up my makeup? the lighting in the bathroom was kind of blinding..." MinGi simply shakes his head at Hong. "I just realized I've never looked at your face like that before, that's all. But what were you gonna say?" 

Hong smiles, and all MinGi can think is, 'there go those teeth.' "Okay, I forgot what I was gonna say!" HongJoong shakes his head and drops his head into both of his hands, obviously quite embarrassed. MinGi reaches his hands towards the younger seated across from him. 

"Don't cover your face." He starts, not sure where he's going with this statement. "I won't have anything nice to look at until we get to the party…" He mutters, regretting his words almost immediately after they come out. He didn't want HongJoong getting the wrong idea. 

Blushing ten times harder now, HongJoong uncovers his face and places his hands in his lap. "Hyung… Can I be honest with you about something?" HongJoong asks, fingers twitching just slightly at his exposed thigh. It’s as though his thighs are begging to be bruised. He's working at controlling his urges. If you ask him, he'd say that he's doing really well, actually. 

MinGi simply nods, closes his eyes, and rests his head back on the headrest of the Sorento's back seat. He's listening, but his vision has started to blur, so he wants to rest his eyes. 

"The last party I went to—"Almost as soon as HongJoong finds the courage to share an impactful life experience with MinGi, the rideshare driver interrupts by loudly clearing his throat. "We're here." He announces, hoping desperately that the drunken pair quickly exit his freshly detailed vehicle. They weren't discrete at all. Oh, well. Hong will just have to save his story for another time. 

"OH, bet!" Suddenly, MinGi perks up and seems full of life again. "Thanks, man, I'll be sure to leave a tip!" MinGi, rather annoyingly, slaps the back of the driver's headrest twice before opening the door and basically flying out towards the impending chaos. The pair walk into a luxury apartment building after MinGi enters a code on the keypad by the locked glass door. It seemed more like a hotel than anything else. The front desk dazzled and glittered against the city lights. The light fixtures and chandeliers probably cost more than Hong’s tuition for all four years. Not to mention the color changing waterfall by the elevators. ‘MinGi’s friends must have money, too.’ Hong thinks, remembering MinGi’s fancy school backpack. Oh, and the Tesla. He wasn’t jealous, just observing. 

They travel up to the seventh floor via elevator and walk towards apartment number 7006. The sweet sound of the bass and incoherent chatter begins to fill MinGi's ears, and, for him, it makes life feel worthwhile. He lived for the moments where nothing memorable would happen, but all the memories would be made. 

HongJoong takes his time getting out of the rideshare, anxiety running rampant on his chest. He thanks the rideshare, closes the door, and as the driver drives off, MinGi remembers that HongJoong had something to share. "What were you gonna say, JJ?"

'JJ…' HongJoong thinks to himself. Was this a new nickname? HongJoong shakes his head and makes it a point to find MinGi's eyes. "It's nothing; don't worry about it…" HongJoong wants to put on a brave face for his friend because he knows how important tonight is to MinGi. He was sure he could handle whatever emotions came his way. "Come on, let's go inside. I'm certain there's a crowd of people waiting for your grand entrance." Hong teases. Even though he's only known MinGi for a few days, he could sense that MinGi had an excellent knack for drawing people towards him. Maybe it was his party devil aura or his ability to "turn shit up." He couldn't quite put his finger on why MinGi was so loved at gatherings like these.

MinGi ruffles HongJoong's red tresses, and the pair start inching towards the door. MinGi, eager and excited, doesn't even knock. This was weird to Hong, but he simply follows MinGi inside without question. HongJoong decides at this stage of his anxiety; he'd use tools that his therapist taught him. As HongJoong's eyes scan the room, he takes mental note of the number of people crammed into a seemingly upscale apartment. The interior matches the bougie exterior. 'There can't be more than two bedrooms here.' He thinks. The kitchen is big, and it complements the open layout of the apartment. You can see straight ahead to the sliding glass door that leads to the balcony as soon as you walk in. The cabinets are a dark gray color, which pairs nicely with the stainless steel appliances. The gray quartz kitchen island glistens under the color changing LED light strips adhered to the ceiling. The refrigerator looks like something out of a spaceship. However, the number of empty red solo cups messily tossed around, coupled with the amount of sticky liquid covering the porous quartz, made Hong a bit itchy. The sight of the sink? Well, it makes Hong want to gag. It's full of dirty dishes and the overflow of solo cups that didn't make it to the cabinet. Let's not even discuss the flood of trash by the trash can. Hong suddenly remembers that there’s a balcony with a sliding glass door straight ahead. That might make for a great escape plan. After copious amounts of scanning, HongJoong is certain that at this point, the only one he knows here is MinGi. 

While HongJoong entered a bout of distraction from his demons, MinGi was greeting just about everyone in the room. Flashlights from Snapchat videos and pictures begin taking over the space like the paparazzi showing up to a reported Kim K sighting. It's like MinGi is a miniature celebrity. After greeting countless people that he probably won't remember in the morning, Ingi finds his way back to HongJoong. 

"Hey, so, since I'm hosting this thing, I gotta be an active part of it." MinGi states as he starts scouring for alcohol. The mess of the kitchen doesn't bother him at all. He's just annoyed that there seems to be no alcohol left. "Yah, HyunJin!! How are you already out of alcohol?!" MinGi shouts, rather loudly. The sudden noise startles HongJoong, causing him to jump out of reflex. 

A tall, blonde male starts heading towards HongJoong and MinGi, a wide smile plastered on his face. The man is almost as tall as MinGi and definitely taller than Hong. "Hyung!!! You actually fucking came through." The excitement from HyunJin seems a bit extra to HongJoong, but he wasn't one to mention that sort of thing. 

"Of course I came through; you paid me to promote it." MinGi states in a teasing tone. If HyunJin didn't know MinGi better, he'd probably get offended. The two have been inseparable since middle school, so they tolerate being assholes to each other. 

"Always an asshole, I see!" HyunJin then reaches into the back pocket of his fitted black denim jeans, wraps his fingers around a silver flask, and inches the metal object towards MinGi, as if to offer him a few swings. "You know I keep the best stuff close to my person at all times." He says with an over cocky smirk. Finally, HyunJin’s eyes fall onto red-haired HongJoong standing there, somewhat zombie-ish. "Yah," HyunJin starts, face scrunching up. "Who do you know here?" 

HongJoong's eyebrows twitch slightly. His face scrunches up in confusion, and he looks to MinGi as if expecting him to step in. 

"Uh.. hello? How did you find out about this party? Because I definitely didn't nor wouldn't invite you." Ah, he gets it now. HongJoong understood that HyunJin was a rich Korean boy... made of money. The type that walks around campus flexing their parents’ money in the form of clothing, accessories, technology, etc. He probably has no idea how the world outside of his parents' tax bracket works. How stupid of him to not notice the Burberry coat on HyunJin, or the wafts of Yves Saint Laurent cologne lingering in the air around him? The only thing the two might have in common is the fact that both of their hair is colored. HyunJin has yellow-ish blonde hair and HongJoong has cherry-red hair. Even that statement is a reach. He looks and smells expensive. The bougie-ness of the lobby should’ve been a dead giveaway. 

Hong, by far, wasn’t one of those boys. His parents separated shortly after the family moved to the bay area in California, so he lived with his mom until he went to college. His mom, Kim HwaSun, decided to stay in the bay area to be closer to her family in Northern California. She often spends half the year in the States and the other half in Korea. His parent’s relationship wasn’t that bad when Hong was growing up. His dad was actually present and an active part of Hong’s life. Shortly after Hong started to grow into who he was and figure out what he wanted in life, Hong’s older brother, JiTae, and father, JiWon, moved back to their hometown in Korea. Secretly, HongJoong blames himself for the separation of his parents, despite his mother constantly reassuring him that the separation had nothing to do with him. If only he’d been born a bit different and with less mental anguish… maybe then his dad would accept him as a capable son. 

For a while after the separation, Hong’s mom struggled financially and depended heavily on her family members and community family friends for support. She was trying desperately to get her hair care business up off the ground. She got her financial situation together by Hong’s junior year, though… and they’ve been doing pretty well ever since. Not well enough to buy HongJoong a car for his 18th birthday like she always used to promise him as a kid, but way better than they were doing before. Besides, it wasn’t always her fault that she struggled to keep her promises. As far as Hong knows, they struggled in the beginning because his mom refused to accept any financial help from his father. To his knowledge, this fact hasn’t changed. His mom earns every penny she makes and still chooses to help him out with groceries and the cost of living fees. He’s hoping she'll pay for the dance team if he makes it in. 

"I'm here with MinGi." HongJoong blurts out, not feeling like he owed HyunJin any further explanation. HongJoong wasn't usually this short when he's in someone's house, but the anxiety mixed with the rudeness couldn't have created a better opportunity for such vagueness. 

HyunJin looks at MinGi as if awaiting confirmation. Finally, MinGi speaks out. "Yeah, he's a new friend. He's cool. He styled my outfit for tonight, yada yada." HyunJin looks from Hong, to MinGi, and back to Hong. How did they even meet…? Hong is… well… not one of them. In HyunJin’s mind, he has every right to question who enters his dwelling space— especially if they look like HongJoong. 

'Finally, fuck …' Hong thinks to himself. He wasn't too sure that MinGi was going to confirm knowing him. 

"Ah," HyunJin states sourly. "My apologies for being crass, then. Welcome to my home. I'm HyunJin, a second-year student with MinGi. I'm assuming you're a freshman? I haven't seen or heard of you before." HyunJin laughs wryly. HongJoong could picture HyunJin 50 years from now at a philanthropist charity gala with the same dry, selfish stench of arrogance dancing all over him. He envisioned HyunJin thinking that he's a crowd favorite, and the crowd jumping off a bridge in response. 

HongJoong nods in response. "Yup, I started in the summer term. I'm HongJoong; nice to meet you." HongJoong performs a deep bow at HyunJin, as is customary when someone is older than you in his culture. 

"What the fuck are you doing, dude?" HyunJin asks, almost immediately erupting into laughter. "We're literally in Washington, and you're fucking bowing like it's PyeongChang or something." HyunJin now becomes overcome by his laughter. "MinGi, where did you find this clown? Fresh off the boat?" HyunJin was thoroughly pleased with himself and his jokes. Yes, he was fairly drunk at this point, but sober HyunJin probably would've been more of a dick.

As soon as HongJoong can process the words, his heart sinks deep. Watching MinGi shrug in response and not doing much else dug the pain further in. HongJoong looks down, ready to cry. 

It's not that MinGi wasn't aware of the implications of not saying anything on Hong’s behalf— it's that his dad always told him that he never needed to explain himself to people to who he didn't owe it. He knows where he found HongJoong and why he invited him tonight. He didn't feel the need to share. After all, knowledge is power. MinGi locks his eyes with Hong's, albeit accidentally, and he can sense the desperation for validation oozing from HongJoong's eyes. 

Suddenly, HyunJin squints his eyes as he zooms in closer to Hong's face. "Oh my god!" He exclaims-- loud enough for the whole party to hear had it not been for the blaring music. "Yo, are you wearing makeup?!" HyunJin starts laughing again, clapping his hands in excitement. "Yo, what the fuck?!" HyunJin cries out.

"Yah, are you done dicking around?" MinGi knocks his head back, a steady pour of the warm liquid contained in the silver flask coating his throat. 'There's definitely some bougie ass whiskey in there..' MinGi thinks to himself. With that, he takes another swig. 

HyunJin reaches back for his flask and takes it from MinGi. "You know I don't do well with strangers." As soon as he finishes his statement, he flashes HongJoong a look of distrust. 

HongJoong, having had enough, walks up to MinGi and says, "I'm gonna go get some air. It's a bit stuffy in here." Devoid of eye contact. Before MinGi can respond, HongJoong is already halfway to the balcony that's straight ahead. 

MinGi watches HongJoong walk away before turning to HyunJin. "Yah, if you're mean to my friends, I'll charge you double for your product." MinGi didn't want HongJoong to be hurt. He knows that Hong suffers from anxiety and just wanted to show him a great night. MinGi also had priorities and goals attached to dollar amounts for tonight. His dad always taught him that business comes first and that priorities come second. He has to let the little tiff between his long time friend and his new friend go for now. 

"Relax! If he can't handle some light roasting, then he's befriending the wrong person." HyunJin responds. It was apparent at this point that Hong knew nothing about MinGi's line of business. HyunJin waits until HongJoong fully enters the balcony before asking, "Did you bring all of the eight balls? The crowd was getting antsy just before you arrived."

MinGi simply nods towards HyunJin's bedroom door, indicating the need for more privacy. HyunJin, surprisingly good at reading cues from dealers, starts heading towards his bedroom— MinGi follows suit. MinGi shuts the door behind him after entering the bedroom, being sure to lock the door. 

"Three 8 balls, as ordered." MinGi reaches in his front pocket and pulls out three baggies full of white powder. He dangles them around for a second before tossing them at HyunJin, who's now seated at the edge of his California king bed. HyunJin artfully analyzes the baggies, as MinGi expected. HyunJin comes from money, and, in MinGi's experience, that usually implied knowledge of good drugs and bad drugs. 

"Fuck yeah. Sample?" HyunJin learned that you had to make sure that the product was worth it before you put out your money. It can't hurt to ask. In his experience, most dealers aren't reluctant to let you sample if their shit is remotely pure. MinGi nods in response. He was confident in his family's product, so he knew that money would fall into his pockets either immediately or within the next 5 minutes. 

HyunJin reaches down into his white shirt and pulls out a small spoon attached to a chained necklace. After carefully opening the plastic bag, he dips the spoon in, brings the cold metal to his nose, and inhales sharply, allowing the white substance a direct pathway to his brain. HyunJin licks the spoon, he tucks it back into his shirt and wipes at his nose with his index finger. The rush is unbelievable and instantaneous. HyunJin can feel the white powder hit his brain and rail through his bloodstream. He suddenly feels less drunk, more clear-headed, and like he has an infinite amount of energy. As always, MinGi’s product is top tier. Cocaine was HyunJin and MinGi’s drug of choice, more specifically back in high school. It was hard for the two not to abuse the drug, though. Both of their families were loaded, and access to Snow White was never an issue. It still isn’t. 

After about 15 seconds of relishing in the euphoric feeling, HyunJin leans his weight to one side of his body, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. 

"You need to get on bitcoin, my friend." MinGi chuckles while watching HyunJin count out ten crisp $100 bills. MinGi takes note of the blue faces. He liked how they looked.

"Mmm, nah. Why would I do all of that when you feel Benjamin in your hands?" With that, MinGi swipes the cash from HyunJin's hand. He tucks the cash into his wallet, then his wallet into his pocket. 

"I really think you'd get more customers that way.. but I know better than to tell you how to do business. Want to do a bump before we go back out?"

MinGi nods. He’s glad his friends can respect his boundaries for the most part. The only person who could tell MinGi how to change his business is his dad. "Yeah, sure. I need to check on my friend, too." HyunJin fiddles with the plastic on his personal 8-ball for a second before securing a good amount of powder onto the spoon for MinGi.

HyunJin, hit with a wave of something, sourly responds, "Don't forget I hired you to keep this party jumping. I need the frat brothers to know that I can throw down." He brings the spoon to MinGi's nose and watches as the powder disappears— inhaled by MinGi.

HyunJin treats himself to another bump. MinGi, slightly annoyed, stands up and says. "And don't forget who you're talking to, nigga." Even HyunJin cringes at the use of the "n-word," especially when it's coming from his best non-black friend. He wasn’t sure why MinGi uses that word. He thought it was a tacky thing to do. The word always slips out when MinGi gets fucked up. Knowing better than to engage MinGi while he's on coke, HyunJin motions towards the door. As MinGi starts walking, HyunJin scoops up the rest of the eight balls and stuffs them into his pocket. He intends to distribute every gram tonight. His guests are guaranteed a great time. 

~*~

Out on the balcony, Hong is resting on his elbows, taking in the beautiful view of downtown Seattle. The lights beaming from the city are stunning. He starts to wonder how much a place like this costs. He closes his eyes and begins drifting off to dreamland, where he's a successful fashion designer. Imagining that leaves him with a somber feeling, though. Somehow, he knows that he'd still feel sad even if he becomes successful. He wonders if it's isolating to be at the top. To him, it's weird that he's afraid of being happy. In his experience, happiness almost always led to a dive off the deep end. It never lasts. It's never comforting. He feels his chest start to rise and fall more rapidly. It's a slow progression, but it's amplified by all the alcohol he's consumed that night. Suddenly, he's ripped back to reality by a familiar voice. 

"Yah! Are you gonna stay out here all night?" The deep voice inquires. Hong turns around and faces his friend. He's slightly upset with MinGi for letting HyunJin talk to him all disrespectfully and not saying anything. 

"I just needed a minute. I needed some air…" Hong trails off, looking off to the side after finishing his sentence. 

"Well, let's go back inside? I gotta host this thing, but I do want you to have a good time." MinGi walks over towards the red-haired boy. 

"MinGi, thank you for inviting me," Hong starts. "But…I think I should go home…" Hong looks up at MinGi, hoping he'd talk him out of it. The truth is, he didn't want to leave, but he didn't want MinGi to feel bogged down by his presence. Hong notices that there's something different about MinGi, but he can't quite put his finger on it. He figures MinGi just drank more after they separated. 

"What? Why? Is it because of HyunJin?" MinGi asks. He doesn't want Hong to leave because of dumb ass HyunJin. This was supposed to be a night of fun and nothing else. 

Hong looks forward and sighs. "I just feel like I don't fit in with your friends... I don't want to embarrass you." At this point, he's fighting back tears. He's sinking his teeth into his lower lip, liking the way it stings. He completely forgets about the rubber band on his wrist. “Besides, parties are weird for me…” Hong hopes that MinGi doesn’t ask him what he means by that. 

MinGi shakes his head in response and takes hold of Hong's hand. "If you wanna leave, we can go. But if you wanna stay... I promise to show you a good time." MinGi wasn't going to apologize for not saying anything to HyunJin about the manner in which he was speaking to Hong. But he also has enough emotional capacity to realize that the interaction might leave Hong feeling like shit. 

Hong, shaken up by the sudden physical touch, decides to stay. MinGi does seem to care if Hong leaves or stays. Besides, it wasn't like MinGi didn't want him there, even if MinGi's friends didn't. The taller of the two tugs Hong by the hand towards the door. Nervous, Hong takes a few deep breaths as he’s led back into descending madness. A little bit of fun can't hurt... right?


	2. II. OverDrive

Chapter II:

OverDrive

[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2aLiNO8hHyOCLq8Pgfmgwd?si=cneh4YYgRbm_2PMPkwib4A) ; [YouTube](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR8E09wF2qDb93FHZQ5RlZ8hzlJy-fH8s)}

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After deciding that he’d stay, Hong takes MinGi’s hand, awaiting him to lead them back to the party. MinGi’s lips curve to form a sly smirk. He’s excited to show Hong how the private school kids at SU get down. As the taller of the two slides the balcony’s glass door open, they’re both hit with a wave of humidity from all the compacted body heat. It just so happens that the song playing as they walk in is one of Hong’s favorites. Instantly, the cherry-haired boy starts grinning from ear to ear. It’s as if that was a sign that he made the right choice by deciding to stay. 

‘Tryna get saved, she wanna get saved... I ain’t gone save her.’ The song lyrics echo throughout the walls of HyunJin’s apartment, the LED lights dancing to the beat. Everyone in the living room seems to like the song as well, based on how hyped they got. 

Hong breaks the physical connection between him and MinGi and starts to dance. He starts off by swiveling his hips to either side, pointing his toe each time his hip hits center. His arms alternate in small circles, perfectly in time with his hip motions. He crosses his legs then drops down to a squat, swinging his right arm out and leaning to the left in a swatting motion to match the lyrics, then his left. 

MinGi stops in his tracks and looks back at the 18-year-old. Hong is hitting some moves that MinGi can see ELEMENTS using in their choreography. He’s actually thoroughly impressed by Hong’s dancing. His movements are clean but so sharp. They’re powerful but also elegant. After observing for a few counts, MinGi joins in, matching the energy in Hong’s dance moves. He’s careful not to take away from his new friend’s moment. 

Hong, excited that he’s not alone at this moment, scoots closer to MinGi. He’s able to do so without breaking the flow of his dancing. The two move together in sync, and suddenly a wave of Snapchat flashlights overcome the living room. All eyes are on MinGi and HongJoong like they’re center stage at a concert. They’d be lying if they said they both weren’t eating up the attention they were receiving at the moment. Well, MinGi never hid the fact that he likes attention on him. It’s more surprising for rubber-band-snapping Hong. The music stops, leaving the two slightly out of breath. They smile at each other, their chemistry thick as tension in the air. As the song ends, so does the barrage of Snapchat flashlights. HyunJin, standing there with his lips pursed in slight jealousy, decides to insert himself into the mix. After all, this is his party.

“Ahhh, I see why you like him now! When he’s not standing there being creepy, he’s actually kinda lit.” A familiar voice shouts. The pair turn around and notice HyunJin emerging from the crowd of people, holding two red solo cups in either hand. 

Hong, not caring much for HyunJin and his comments at this point, takes one of the drinks and knocks it back. All in one go. MinGi watches Hong in amazement— mainly because he knows there’s no chaser left, and Hong probably took 3-4 shots worth of alcohol in .2 seconds. He doesn’t pretend to know how much of a drinker Hong is, but he assumed Hong couldn’t outdrink him. 

‘Bitch... corvette, corvette!’ Another one of Hong’s favorite TikTok songs comes on. 

Just like that, Hong is back to dancing. Dancing makes him feel so comfortable. It’s one of the only things he can do seamlessly regardless of who’s watching. It makes him happy, and he always gives it his all. He likes to pretend that he’s the main dancer in a music video. 

MinGi takes the spare drink from HyunJin’s hand and knocks it back, just like Hong did. He flashes HyunJin a cocky smile. He figured HyunJin assumed Hong was a fruitcake with no personality, so it made him happy to know that Hong showed his abilities in this exact setting— HyunJin and MinGi’s setting, that is. 

HyunJin watches as the crowd eats up Hong’s dance moves. He observes how Hong’s facial expressions are seemingly otherworldly. HongJoong looks like a professional. ‘He’d be able to fit right into ELEMENTS…’ HyunJin thinks to himself. A jealousy-filled knot forms in HyunJin’s throat. MinGi takes note of his best friend’s sour expression, and it rubs him the wrong way. He hired MinGi as a promoter and invited him as a friend. MinGi curated the guest list to ensure HyunJin a lit ass part, so why was he being so salty? He decides to say something. 

“Yah, HyunJin.” He starts, swiping at his nose a few times. If you ain’t want your party to be popping, why’d you ask for my help?” If MinGi didn’t ingest as many substances as he has, he probably would’ve just let it go. But HyunJin was starting to get annoying at this point. 

HyunJin scoffs. “Your cherry isn’t popping, bro. He’s just...” Well, at that point, HyunJin realized that he was hating on Hong. Still, Hong does look like a cherry with that hair color. He just rolls his eyes in a dramatic fashion. “Wanna do another bump?” HyunJin asks, eyes fleming t the thought of indulging himself in just one more. He’s starting to come down from the coke, and it’s not a good feeling. He feels groggy, stuck in his own head, and kind of sad. 

MinGi shrugs and gestures for HyunJin to lead the way to his room. HyunJin starts heading that way, craftily sifting through the sea of people, and MinGi follows suit. He’s sure Hong will be just fine on his own for a few minutes. Honestly speaking, MinGi could use a bump, too. Once the two enter the separate room, MinGi shuts the bedroom door behind him. 

HyunJin takes a seat in the gaming chair stationed at his white desk. He has three Windows computer monitors glowing with led lights resonating behind them. His keyboard and mouse also glow all the colors in the color wheel. His gray bedroom furniture, with the embedded diamond accents, glistens along with the RGB LED lights that are adhered all around the corners of the room. There is a bathroom and walk-in closet beyond the door past his desk. The authentic sheep fur rug sits snuggly on the floor in front of his full-body, LED mirror. HyunJin is living lavishly, to say the least. 

“What’s your issue with Hong, anyway?” Mingi asks as he takes a seat on the corner of HyunJin’s California king bed. The comforter is gray, and the sheets beneath are a cream color. The thread count must be ridiculously high. 

HyunJin, busting down the white rock on his desk with a sharp razor blade, shrugs. “I don’t have a problem with the dude. I just think he’s weird as fuck.” He separates the huge broken down pile into two fat lines, about as long and wide as his index finger. He reaches into the rainbow chrome storage drawer on his desk and fishes a steel straw out. HyunJin leans forward and hovers the metal tip over one end of a line. As he rapidly drags the straw to the other end, the white powder disappears into his right nostril. HyunJin knocks his head back and sucks the remaining powder further into his nasal cavity by plugging his left nostril with his upper lip and inhaling deeply.. Once he feels the effects of the cocaine start to settle in, he hands the straw to MinGi. 

“Nigga, you don’t think you’re weird?” MinGi asks while taking the straw from his friend. He looks down at the amount that HyunJin has busted down, shocked. 

“Damn, dude! That’s like... half the bag. What happened to taking it easy?” MinGi wasn’t necessarily complaining, but he’s successfully been able to cut down his consumption by quite a bit. HyunJin, annoyed, watches as his friend snorts the entirety of his designated pile. 

HyunJin stands up, feeling the coke rush through his bloodstream. His eyes are laser-focused, which overwhelms him at times. Suddenly, he’s alive again. Annoyed at the comment, especially coming from MinGi, HyunJin says, “How’re you gonna judge me when you sold me the shit? The fuck? Is this not a party?” HyunJin lifts his thumb up to his mouth, licks it, then thumbs the white powder’s remnants off the desk and brings the substance to his mouth, rubbing his thumb on his gums for an added kick. Maybe it was a bit too much, but who gives a fuck? Your early 20’s is when you’re supposed to get all these drugs out of your system. Besides, just because MinGi decided to cut back doesn’t mean that he didn’t go harder than HyunJin in high school. Who was he to judge?

“You’re so fucking sensitive, Hyun. You can’t be such a little bitch if you’re gonna be railing lines with me.” MinGi states, half-jokingly. Okay, not half, more so like 1/4. Back in high school, and even now, HyunJin was known to go too far with substances and end up very close to overdosing. It had gotten so bad that HyunJin’s parents had to send him to rehab at the end of senior year. He spent the entire summer there and didn’t speak to anyone in their friend group for months. They only heard from him once college started up. They assumed that HyunJin was going to take a gap semester, but that wasn’t the case. MinGi had every right to be concerned, but HyunJin is a grown man who can make his own decisions. 

“Besides,” MinGi continues. “Your dad would have another heart attack if he found out you were back on the shit. I’m just saying to take it easy.” And that’s all that MinGi plans to say on the matter. HyunJin can get upset at the truth if he likes. It’s still the truth. 

HyunJin, all of a sudden, starts feeling guilty. After all, he couldn’t dispute a single thing MinGi said— which pissed HyunJin off even more. After HyunJin’s parents found him overdosed in his bedroom at their home a few years back, HyunJin’s dad had a full-on heart attack. It’s not easy to witness your son choking on his vomit, damn near lifeless, as a result of taking too many drugs. The son you raised and loved for 18 years. The son you loved more than anything. The son you hoped would take over your empire. HyunJin’s father, HyunSoo, took two weeks to recover even though he’s only forty-five years old. HyunJin’s father is a business tycoon who managed to build an entire pharmaceutical empire off of the small fortune left to him by his father, all before reaching the age of fifty. His dad’s success afforded the Hwang family with a net worth just shy of nine billion dollars. It’s safe to say that the Hwang family was and always has been well cared for. They always had the most refined items that money could buy and lived in the most luxurious homes. 

For a businessman like Hwang HyunSoo, being out of the game for a health issue can leave shareholders skeptical of the company’s strength and longevity. For pharmaceutical companies, this can be detrimental. 

Even though HyunJin nearly died, the only reason he was able to stay clean for a bit was because of how guilty he felt about being the cause of his dad’s heart attack. Guilt, unfortunately, wasn’t enough to keep HyunJin clean. He stopped going to his weekly therapy sessions once he started college. That, coupled with frequent exposure to party drugs, made it virtually impossible for HyunJin to stay clean. His parents are unaware that he hasn’t been to therapy or clean for about two years now. It’s easy to hide that fact now that he lives alone. 

HyunJin gnaws on his lower lip, deep in a cycle of self-pity and guilt, and attempts to take a few steps forward. The substances bearing opposite effects within him collide and cause him to lean drastically towards the right, and he comes crashing down onto his right hand, the shock absorbed by his wrist. “Ah, fuck!” He shrieks, the pain radiating throughout the nerve endings in his hand. He’s lost control again... he’s a disappointment-- again. 

MinGi, having witnessed HyunJin grow silent then fall onto his hand, quickly crouches down to help his friend. It wasn’t his intention for HyunJin to feel bad, but someone had to be real with him. MinGi wasn’t the kind of friend that wouldn’t offer advice when they thought it was necessary. MinGi sees the guilt written all over his childhood best friend’s face, and it hurts him. He doesn’t want the ones he loves to be in any pain. Don’t let anyone know, but MinGi is soft-hearted in that way. His trauma and dad’s teachings don’t always allow room for that vulnerability to be exposed, though. 

“Here, let me see...” The taller of the two mutters, reaching forward to take HyunJin’s hand into his. He’s seated across from HyunJin, and HyunJin looks as though he’s about to burst into tears. Tears make MinGi uncomfortable. MinGi lightly grasps HyunJin’s wrist and gently twists it from side to side to inspect where the damage lies. He turns the wrist too far to the right, and HyunJin lets out a small yelp of pain. 

“I think you might’ve sprained it... do you have some sort of brace?” MinGi asks, hands still holding HyunJin’s wrist, but he doesn’t receive a response. 

The pain radiates straight to HyunJin’s heart, and one by one, tears begin to drop from HyunJin’s eyes until there’s a steady pour. The droplets of salty water travel through the air with the help of gravity and perform crash landings onto MinGi’s hands. 

He’s so angry with himself. Why couldn’t he manage to stay clean even when he desperately wanted nothing more? Even though he’s nearly killed his dad because of it. He’s bargained with every God he could think of, gone to countless therapy sessions and meetings, tried rehab, but nothing works. He feels powerless when he’s in the face of Snow White. She’s all he wants after a long, stressful day. Or when someone bumps into him the wrong way… or makes fun of the way he dresses. Don’t these idiots know that just because his family’s rich doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have feelings, too? As HyunJin’s thoughts of self-hatred intensify, so do the tears... and the cravings for just one more line... just to quiet the noise. 

‘Fuck.’ MinGi thinks to himself. Unsure of how to console HyunJin, and fairly drunk and wired himself, MinGi curls his index finger and places it under HyunJin’s pronounced chin. MinGi slowly lifts his friend’s chin, making sure to connect his eyes with HyunJin’s. MinGi reaches his fingers forward with his free hand and delicately wipes the tears from HyunJin’s eyes. The kind act only makes HyunJin cry harder, this time with pained sounds— like he’d been harboring that pain inside him for a while. His chest begins rising and falling rapidly. All the while, HyunJin hasn’t broken eye contact with MinGi. He wants MinGi to know that he needs his best friend so badly right now, but he feels so incredibly shitty about himself that he can’t get any words out. Only sounds. 

In an effort to distract HyunJin and not induce a panic attack, MinGi pushes his weight forward, cocks his head to the side, closes his eyes, and purses his lips out just enough to connect them with HyunJin’s. As MinGi’s warm, pink lips continue to purse and relax against HyunJin’s salty pair for a few seconds, he can feel HyunJin’s hot tears land on his own cheeks. It’s not working, so MinGi breaks the kiss. He decides to plant one on HyunJin’s cheek and whispers, “You’re not alone. You’re going to get through this. You have people who love you and want the best for you... you’ve got me for life.” into HyunJin’s right ear. HyunJin then flings his arms around MinGi, embracing him in a tight hug while the pained sobs continue. 

The kiss wasn’t one of a sexual nature. In their sophomore year of high school, the pair realized that they both suffered from some form of anxiety and panic attacks. They made a pact that if one entered panic mode, the other would kiss him as a distraction. It worked for the most part, but maybe its magic is starting to wear off. 

The two remain seated across from each other on the floor, tightly embraced, until HyunJin stops bawling. Eventually, the moment comes where the hug must be disconnected. HyunJin takes this moment to wipe the salty tears and snot from his face.

“You good?” MinGi asks, feeling a little emotionally riled up. HyunJin simply nods in response, reaches into his pant pocket, and pulls out his nicotine vape pen. He takes a few drags from the vaporizing pen, hoping the menthol rush will calm his nerves. Knowing that MinGi’s probably feeling emotionally strained as well, HyunJim hands the nicotine stick to his friend. The two pass it back and forth and watch as the thick menthol clouds they both exhale dissipate in the air several times before getting up. They head to the door, MinGi in front. Before MinGi can open the door, HyunJin takes hold of his hand. MinGi turns around and looks at his friend, puzzlingly. 

“Thank you...” He mumbles, slightly embarrassed. His cheeks begin to color red. Slightly congested from all the blubbering and lines, he sniffles a few times and wipes his nose. MinGi does the same, not wanting to leave powdery evidence on either of their faces. 

MinGi smiles and simply says, “Come on. Let’s go get you some ice for that wrist.” He opens the door and leads the two out of HyunJin’s massive bedroom, only to be halted in their path. 

“Wahhh! Hyung!” HongJoong exclaims at the sight of his new friend. After dancing up a storm, Hong was able to mingle and find people that shared similar interests. These people fed him more alcohol and even offered to share their drugs with him, but Hong politely declined. He doesn’t smoke or does any kind of partying, really. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he’s never really had anyone to do those things with. He didn’t want his first time to be at a party with strangers. Besides, he didn’t know how drugs and alcohol would react in his body-- and he certainly wasn’t trying to embarrass MinGi. 

“I’ve been looking for you! Well— a couple of people have been, but you’re here now~” Hong’s excited state begins to irritate HyunJin. HyunJin groans and leans against the wall of his hallway, not quite ready to leave MinGi’s safe presence. Hong’s energy is intense and somewhat erratic. MinGi figures that Hong must’ve consumed more alcohol. 

“Is he’s okay?” Hong asks MinGi, referring to HyunJin. His English begins slipping just slightly, but he doesn’t care because the alcohol feels really good right now. 

“Ugh. He’s fine, and he can hear you.” HyunJin responds, the pain in his wrist intensifying. He quickly stands back upright and walks closer to HongJoong. “Has anyone ever told you that you sound like a crackhead chipmunk when you’re drunk?” HyunJin is serious both in his comparison and question. He locks his eyes with HongJoong’s.

Hong’s eyebrows furrow. He’s slightly offended. Drunker than a skunk, this time HongJoong isn’t backing down. “Has anyone ever told you that you didn’t use enough toner after dying your hair blonde?” He asks, cocking his head to the side, feeling empowered even though he’s a good three inches shorter than HyunJin. “You look like a banana.” Hong chuckles, claps his hands, thoroughly amused with himself.

MinGi lets out a stifled laugh that sounds like a snort— the kind of laughter that he usually hides from others unless he’s incredibly fucked up. HyunJin, a bit hurt that MinGi found that remark to be amusing after the moment they just had, angrily shoves past HongJoong back toward the rest of the party. He decides not to engage in such bullshit because he’s been ready to beat Hong’s weird ass for a minute now. Besides, right now, the only thing he cares about is getting ice for his throbbing wrist. 

“I take it you’re having fun?” MinGi asks, amused at how much happier Hong looks now. Hong looks at his friend and leans forward a bit close for MinGi’s comfort. 

“Mhm! I’m having a blast.” He responds, the stench of vodka pungent on his breath. He lets out a hiccup as he rocks back and forth in a subtle battle to maintain his balance. He loses balance for a split second and ends up fully leaning onto MinGi. 

“Woah there. Ease up a bit, hm?” MinGi says; though he’s not quite making an effort to move Hong out of his personal bubble. They’re just out of the crowd’s sight, so MinGi feels no need to interrupt Hong’s fight for balance. In fact, he thinks it’s kind of cute. MinGi would be lying if he said being this close to Hong didn’t make fire electrical impulses within him— and MinGi does live for adrenaline. 

Hong looks up at MinGi, his hand lightly placed on the right side of MinGi’s chest. When he realizes that he’s locked eyes with MinGi, Hong casts his gaze down, and then back up again. MinGi, face angled down to look at his shorter friend, grazes his teeth against his lower lip. Suddenly, he remembers that HongJoong was going to tell him something right as the ride-share arrived at Hyunjin’s apartment. 

“What were you going to tell me earlier in the car?” MinGi asks; his long, slender hand finding a resting place on HongJoong’s slim waist. Their eyes are still connected. HongJoong’s cheeks color red, and he’s not quite sure he remembers what MinGi is referring to. 

“Mm? What do you mean?” Hong asks, wanting some clarity so he can answer MinGi’s question. His fingers start to caress MinGi’s chest. Call it instinct, but for once HongJoong isn’t second-guessing his congenital nature. 

“Yeah, in the Uber you said something about the last party you went to?” MinGi clarifies. It seemed of importance then, so MinGi wants to hear what was to be said. 

Suddenly, every muscle in Hong’s body tenses, and he gently pushes himself off MinGi, still wavering in balance. 

“Oh…” he starts, the memories quickly flooding back. He reaches his hand up to his face, tucking a few stray hairs behind his ear. “Just— I guess what I was going to say was…” 

It’s not that he didn’t want to tell MinGi but the words are hard to get out. They’ve only just met and the current setting isn’t exactly the kind of place one would share something like this in. 

“The last party I went to caused me physical and emotional injury. It wasn’t really a party, actually.” Hong is scrambling to find the words to describe what he experienced that night. This causes him to look down. MinGi, even in his drunken state, can clearly see the distress written all over Hong’s face. He reaches both of his hands forward and cups the younger’s face, restoring eye contact. 

“Whatever happened, don’t worry about it tonight. Tonight, you’re in the company of caring people who won’t let anything bad happen to you…” For the second time that night, MinGi finds himself being compassionate-- more so than he’s used to. With HyunJin, his compassion is understandable, but he has no such deep connections with HongJoong. He’s known HyunJin since they were kids. The very idea that he can be so empathetic towards a boy he’d only just met scares him. It scares him that he doesn’t know why it feels so easy or what it means. He certainly doesn’t want to give HongJoong the wrong message. That thought causes MinGi to release HongJoong’s face from his gentle grasp. The need for personal space interjects the moment as MinGi takes a step away from HongJoong. 

MinGi offers Hong a small smile before stating that he’s going to check in on HyunJin. Before Hong can respond, MinGi disappears amongst the humid crowd. Hong, touched and slightly confused, decides to find the like-minded crowd that he found the last time MinGi disappeared. At this point, Hong is just as determined as the rest to make this a memorable night. 

“Found that ice?” MinGi asks while approaching his best friend in the kitchen. He doesn’t for a second forget how hurt HyunJin looked after being lightly roasted by HongJoong. MinGi figures that HyunJin is most likely still salty. 

HyunJin, more inebriated than the last time he saw MinGi, looks up at MinGi with disgust in his eyes. “You know, it’s funny that you call yourself my best friend, but the second a piece of ass swoops in you leave me.” He snarls. He and MinGi never expressly discussed MinGi’s sexuality. Sexuality is a part of MinGi’s life that he prefers to keep private for various reasons. So private that he, himself, doesn’t know what he would label himself as. To HyunJin, sometimes it feels like MinGi isn’t interested in finding out.

MinGi furrows his brows, looking around to make sure that no one has heard him potentially being outed. “Just say you’re jealous that I give him my attention and go.” MinGi retorts in a mocking tone. It takes more than words for MinGi to take HyunJin and his jealousy seriously, but HyunJin is teetering a bit too close to the edge for MinGi’s comfort. 

HyunJin forces a loud, unnatural laugh, though it’s drowned by music and bass echoing off the walls. “Jealous of what? A drug dealer? And his fairy Princess guest?” HyunJin rolls his eyes, vigorously. “Don’t think for a second that either of you could make me jealous.”

He would never admit it, but HyunJin was jealous. He witnessed how close MinGi let HongJoong get to him in the hallway, their hands caressing each other’s toned bodies, even the little hip grab that MinGi did to pull HongJoong closer. It angers HyunJin that MinGi gets annoyed when he’s overly affectionate or draws too much attention to the two. But, for some reason, he didn’t mind it with HongJoong-- some guy he barely knows. He began questioning how genuine MinGi’s affection was towards him earlier. Watching the two get so close, so quickly, left a bitter taste in HyunJin’s mouth.

“Seriously, bro. I’m not gonna tolerate your jealousy because you never know when to stop. You can keep lying to yourself about HongJoong making you feel jealous if you wanna, but don’t take that shit out on me, the fuck?” MinGi, probably more annoyed than he thought he was, watches as a wave of rage washes over his friend’s face. MinGi has seen that soured face before, and he just knows that HyunJin is about to say something really fucking stupid. “Keep talking that shit though, you’ll see what’s up.” This isn’t an empty threat; MinGi never makes those. 

Normally, MinGi would pay this no mind, but bear in mind that he’s had just as much as HyunJin has had to drink and snort, so they’re both not in their right minds at the moment.

HyunJin feels as though MinGi is egging him on, so he responds, “Aight, aight. And you can keep lying to yourself about wanting to fuck to him because it’s so desperately written all over your face.” HyunJin’s chest starts to rise and fall with silent laughter. “You always were attracted to small, fragile fairies that would let you break them. Keep telling yourself you’re not gay, though. I’m sure life in the closet has its perks.”

MinGi waits for HyunJin to finish, shocked that he has the balls to be this bold. MinGi looks at either side of him before quickly reaching his hand in and forcefully grabbing HyunJin’s injured wrist. How dare he not only insinuate that MinGi pushes drugs but also exposes him for his suspected sexuality. What kind of friend… He makes sure to squeeze his long digits into the center of HyunJin’s wrist with the intention of inducing more pain. 

HyunJin, caught off guard by the action, hisses in pain and backs himself into the refrigerator rather harshly. “I’m sorry— I’m sorry! I’m fucked up. I-I said that without thinking!” HyunJin suddenly remembers who he’s talking to. HyunJin knows that childhood friendship has limits when it comes to MinGi and the business he conducts. He also knows better than to expose his friend at a gathering such as this, especially because of the steps MinGi takes to keep his private life private. 

“You know, it doesn’t take much for it to go from a sprain to broken bones.” MinGi expresses huskily, not quite satisfied with the apology. He proceeds to curl his fingers, shoving his nails into HyunJin’s wrist, a smirk forming on his face as he watches HyunJin writhe in pain. It’s been a while since MinGi’s been able to get his aggression out, and what better target than the pain in his ass all evening? HyunJin shouldn’t have offered that fat ass line earlier, because now MinGi is both really coked up and really angry.

“I’m sorry!!” HyunJin shouts, knowing he’d draw a few eyes towards the kitchen. MinGi lets go of his friend’s wrist and takes a step back, allowing space to form between the two. 

“Keep your jealousy in check, especially the next time you want me to sponsor your inebriety,” MinGi states, beginning to walk away. He turns back toward HyunJin and adds, “Oh— and the fairy Princess and I are leaving.” 

HyunJin rubs at his sore, now bleeding wrist, casting his gaze between it and the disappearing MinGi. Normally, violence like that between friends would be unacceptable, but HyunJin knows who Min’s family is and wouldn’t dare put himself at the mercy of them. Besides, what kind of friend publicly announces that the other is engaged in illegal activity? After all, snitches do get stitches. 

MinGi, emotionally and physically riled up, bobs and weaves through the party guests in an attempt to find HongJoong. After about three minutes of searching, he finds his new friend chatting amongst a group of strangers outside on the balcony. 

Not quite giving a shit about the conversation he’s about to interrupt, MinGi walks up to the group, making his presence known. “Hong, I think I’m finna leave. I’m not sure I’m in the partying mood anymore.” He announces, looking at no one but HongJoong. 

Hong stands and bids his new acquaintances goodbye before joining MinGi, who’s already started walking off. Still imbalanced, Hong does a decent job of not getting lost while trying to follow MinGi out. HyunJin watches as MinGi exits through the front door and notices Hong slightly delayed behind him. Before Hong can step towards the front door, only accessible by walking past the kitchen, HyunJin steps in front of him. 

Hong’s drunken state doesn’t allow for much spatial awareness, and, before he knows it, he crashes into HyunJin. It’s nearly enough to knock him down, which is what HyunJin was hoping for. 

“Mianhae! Mianhae…” HongJoong immediately apologizes in his native tongue after realizing that he bumped into HyunJin. ‘This can’t be good.’ He thinks to himself.

“You better not have gotten any makeup on my fucking Burberry.” HyunJin hisses, desperately looking for a fight with a less than worthy opponent. The copious amounts of coke he inhaled fuel his rage. 

HongJoong, looking like a deer caught in headlights, starts bowing to HyunJin. “I’ll pay for whatever I damaged... I’m so sorry!” 

HyunJin smirks, his ego now well-fed. He forcefully lifts Hong’s chin up, his eyes piercing through Hong’s like how freshly broken glass would slice through soft flesh. There’s a multitude of things he wants to say at the moment, but he decides to say one thing— and one thing alone. 

“Just know that if you ever come close to ruining my friendship with MinGi, I’ll already have ruined you twenty times over. I’m not an opponent you want to go up against.” As if the verbal threat wasn’t enough, HyunJin uses his injured hand to grab the collar of Hong’s shirt, pulling Hong close enough to smell the stench of whiskey on his lips. The pain in his wrist that once bothered him before now brought him a twisted kind of pleasure, knowing that Hong was frightened. “Watch. Your. Fucking. Back.” He damn near tosses Hong aside before disappearing into the madness behind them. 

Hong notices that a few party patrons witnessed what just occurred and scurries out of the building to meet MinGi waiting in the halls. He feels relief at the sound of the front door shutting behind him. ‘No more HyunJin..’ he thinks to himself. At least not tonight. 

Hong shakily walks up to MinGi, though, luckily for him, it looks as though he’s still entangled in that same fight for balance as earlier. Hopefully, MinGi doesn’t ask questions. 

“Wanna go look at the stars with me?” MinGi asks as Hong walks up to him. Hong notices that MinGi seems different, but he’s not sure how. MinGi appears unnerved but also on edge. He nods softly in response and the two begin the short trek down to the lobby through the elevator. 

“I already called the Uber, and HyunJin only lives five minutes away from me,” MinGi mutters while pressing the button designated for descension into the lobby. “There’s a dope spot in the mountains I wanna show you.” 

As the elevator doors close, Hong’s lips purse outward. “Are you driving us to the mountains, or we’re ubering?” MinGi doesn’t look quite as drunk as Hong does, but Hong knows MinGi’s has a bit to drink and they’re both under the legal drinking age of 21.

“Yeah, man. I’ve driven way more fucked up than this. I’ll get us there and back safely. Besides, no one will fuck with us. Not even 12.” MinGi states, almost in a bragging tone. Hong, not really in any state of mind to be making rational decisions, shrugs. He figures they’ll be fine. He’s also not sure what MinGi means by 12, but he assumes it’s the authorities. 

“Okay, yes. I trust you.” Hong states, to which MinGi replies, “Besides, you wouldn’t be able to drive my car. You could barely figure out how to open the door handle earlier.” MinGi teases, chuckling softly. Hong, slightly embarrassed, repeatedly swats at his new friend’s shoulder, lips pouting. As MinGi dodges the swats, his laughter grows.

By the time the two make it downstairs, the uber is waiting outside of the building, hazard lights flashing. MinGi opens the car door and slides into the back seat. Hong does the same after greeting and thanking the driver for working late. 

The driver confirms the address, and once Hong closes the door, the driver begins driving. 

“Yo, do you got any water back here?” MinGi asks the driver in a projected tone. The driver looks at MinGi through the rearview mirror and informs him that there’s no water in the car.

“It’s cool, no worries.” MinGi responds, his eyes slowly trailing back to Hong. In an instant, MinGi’s mind begins trailing back to what HyunJin said about how he wanted to break HongJoong. Truthfully, he can’t allow himself to think that way. 

“Hyung, I have to pee!!” Hong says in a child-like tone, his timing perfect as MinGi needed to think about something else. Hong’s innocence makes MinGi smile. 

“We’re almost there.” He responds. “You can pee in the garage because the walk to my apartment is way too far. That’s what I’m finna do.” MinGi rests his head back and closes his eyes. 

Hong leans close to MinGi and attempts to whisper, “I think we annoy every uber driver we get. Oops!” HongJoong then reaches for MinGi’s face with his right hand. 

“What’re you doing…?” MinGi asks, his heart quickening just slightly, eyebrows furrowed. 

“You have a fuzzy in your hair~” Hong giggles, only to realize that the ‘fuzzy’ was just a reflection of the passing street lamps on MinGi’s shiny black hair. Slightly embarrassed, Hong proceeds to pretend that he removed lint from his friend’s hair. 

“Thanks.” MinGi mumbles while looking out of the window only to realize that they’re approaching his loft. The driver pulls up to the building and informs the pair that they’ve made it to their destination. 

“Thanks, man!” MinGi hollers before unbuckling his seatbelt and practically lunging out of the car. Hong, as he’s done the entire night, follows MinGi suit. MinGi uses a key fob to enter the building, then makes a left headed towards the garage. Once the two arrive at the garage, they take the elevator up to the 5th floor, where MinGi’s car is parked. 

In HongJoong’s drunk mind, this all happens rather quickly. Before he knows it, the pair are stationed in front of a black Jeep Cherokee Latitude. While Hong takes note of the elegant SUV, MinGi slinks off to the corner of where he’s parked to relieve himself. Not wanting to make his friend uncomfortable, Hong finds his own corner to relieve himself. He must say, peeing while drunk is definitely one of life’s simple pleasures. 

While zipping up his fly, Hong purses his lips. This isn’t the same car they rode in earlier. ‘How drunk is he? He walked up to the wrong car…’ With that thought, Hong decides to say something. 

“Hyung, I don’t think this is the right car.” He walks back up to MinGi, who’s also finished peeing. 

“No, this is my car, too. I have two cars and a bike. I usually take my Jeep on camping trips.” MinGi chuckles, his slender fingers reaching into his rear pocket to grab the key and unlock the car doors. Once the doors are opened, MinGi slides in. Hong happily gets into the passenger seat, excited for the adventure ahead. 

MinGi presses the push to start button and carefully pulls out of the parking spot, out of the garage, and soon enters the road. MinGi’s lo-fi music starts to play as soon as they pull off, setting a relaxed tone for the rest of the night. 

The pair embark on the twenty-minute journey silently. They’re both focused on feeling the atmosphere that the music provides. MinGi appreciates the fact that Hong isn’t the type to talk just to talk. He respects people who know when to just vibe. After winding through mountain roads, MinGi pulls into a lookout area. The area overlooks downtown Seattle, and it’s honestly breathtaking. The city lights twinkle against the dark night like the stars in the galaxy. After placing the car in park and opening the panoramic sunroof, MinGi reaches forward toward the glove compartment, retrieving a pen-like device from the compartment.

“What’s that?” Hong asks, watching as MinGi brings the pen to his lips and starts inhaling. It doesn’t look like a regular vape pen. 

“It’s just weed.” MinGi replies, tilting his head back to exhale the THC oil that’s just filled his lungs. “I have a mattress topper and blankets in the back if you want to lie down.” MinGi offers, proceeding to exit the car. 

That’s when Hong notices that the back seats are laid down and set up similar to how a bed would be. It looks perfect for an overnight camping trip. His mind starts to wander towards how he’d decorate the space if it was his. He’d probably add a few string lights around the top. 

MinGi enters through the trunk, obviously taking his shoes off before scooting himself into the cozy set up. He even has pillows for the ultimate comfortable experience. Hong pulls his shoes off and follows his friend through the trunk into the cozy space. MinGi reaches over and grabs a black velvet, fuzzy blanket, gently placing it over him and Hong. The two lay down and look up to view the stars directly above them. It’s so beautiful out tonight, and, for now, it isn’t raining. The temperature tonight is perfect. 

There’s a good amount of space left between the two stargazing souls. The music MinGi is playing adds to the ethereal atmosphere. After allowing two songs to play, HongJoong turns over to face MinGi. 

“Mmh… Hyung, can I ask you something?” HongJoong asks, still pretty fucked up. He wants to address something he noticed earlier. 

MinGi looks back at him, awaiting the question. He’s not sure what Hong is going to ask, but he’s curious. 

“Earlier at the party,” Hong starts. “Did you feel the electricity between us?” Typically, asking this kind of question would cause Hong’s heart to flutter. Tonight he’s feeling rather confident with MinGi by his side. 

“Electricity?” MinGi repeats, wanting Hong to say exactly what he means. He can’t act without more information. His brain won’t allow him to. 

“Like, sparks? I felt it when you grabbed my waist. I was just wondering if you felt something similar?” Hong clarifies, softly gnawing at his lower lip. He hopes that he isn’t making MinGi uncomfortable, but, given the chemistry the two shared earlier, he’s not too worried. 

MinGi couldn’t in good conscience deny that he did feel something like a small fire form in his lower abdomen when that moment transpired. “Something like that…'' MinGi responds carefully, watching for HongJoong’s next moves. 

Hong, feeling relieved, breaks the eye contact and scoots himself closer to MinGi. Not too much, though.

The moment Hong scoots closer, MinGi can feel his stomach descend into the pit of his torso— the same feeling he experienced earlier at HyunJin’s party. He wonders why Hong doesn’t move any closer. MinGi never fears making the first move, especially when he’s this fucked up. He reaches his arm forward and rests it on the underside of HongJoong’s waist only to pull him close enough for their bodies to connect. 

Not new to this kind of intimacy, Hong places his leg over MinGi’s at a ninety-degree angle, his arm resting across MinGi’s chest. MinGi lets out a shallow breath, causing Hong to look up at him, innocently. 

“Is this okay?” Hong asks, looking dead into MinGi’s eyes. MinGi’s pair can’t help but travel down Hong’s exquisite features. He unintentionally focuses on Hong’s lips, jawline, neck, downward. Fuck, HongJoong looks so beautiful in the moonlight. It’s not his makeup or his hair, or his perfect teeth. It’s not his impeccable yet feminine fashion sense. It’s the way his body responds to MinGi’s very touch… the way he’s able to let loose with MinGi. It’s the way he dances, the way he talks… it’s him. 

Hong can feel his friend’s eyes assessing him. It doesn’t make him uncomfortable. In fact, it encourages him to inch up, his lips slowly reaching towards MinGi’s. 

‘Fuck it.’ Mingi thinks to himself. His hand reaches up to lightly grasp underneath HongJoong’s defined jaw with the intention to take things to the next level. At that moment, MinGi’s lips come crashing onto Hong’s. Hong’s eyes close softly in response. He wants to be fully immersed in this moment. The cherry-haired boy lets out a surprised gasp at the action. In truth, the gasp sounds more like a soft moan that vibrates against MinGi’s plush pair. 

The invigorating moan encourages MinGi to pull HongJoong closer so that the two could continue their kiss with finesse. MinGi’s vocal cords squeeze out a husky moan; his body completely enthralled with being this connected with HongJoong. Even though they’re just kissing, every nerve in MinGi’s body is awakened. 

Their heads lift up and down in rhythmic harmony, their lips matching the pace. The sound of squelching wet kisses engulf their ears. The two feel electric jolts in their lower abdomens, causing them both to moan into each other’s mouths simultaneously. HongJoong inches his tongue out, gliding it passionately against MinGi’s. Their tongues soon match the passionate rhythm their heads maintain. Hong curves his lips to form a small ‘o’ then softly suckles at MinGi’s velvet muscle, eliciting a deep groan from the dark-haired boy. 

MinGi, not quite satisfied with the closeness, and quite turned on by HongJoong sucking on his tongue, effortlessly uses both arms to lift HongJoong up and seats him on MinGi’s hips. While being lifted up, Hong moves his leg over so he can straddle his new friend. At that moment, the kiss breaks, and the two are offered an opportunity to gaze into each other’s eyes, the pair panting softly. 

HongJoong’s mind is buzzing with the thought of the two going down on each other. It’s one of his favorite things to do, and if he’s being truthful, he enjoys giving more than receiving. The thought of giving MinGi oral pleasure causes HongJoong’s member to jump, the muscle quickly filling with hot blood. 

Feeling his sexual prowess begin to take over, Hong leans forward and places his hands on either side of MinGi’s head for support. MinGi is now the one looking up at HongJoong, wondering what he’s going to do next. His eyes travel up and down in curiosity. 

Hong, never breaking eye contact, begins to motion his hips forward and back, causing both of their growing, denim-covered bulges to rub against each other. 

“Oh, fuck…” MinGi groans, his mind now traveling to all the things he could do to HongJoong… all the things he wants to do to HongJoong. MinGi takes note of the protruding vein on HongJoong’s neck, watching as it pulsates. He lifts his head up and encompasses the pulsating vein with the warm and wet flesh of his mouth. While sucking passionately at the skin, MinGi’s hands reach forward to grab Hong’s slender waist, his hips angling upward to match the rhythm of Hong’s gliding hips. His hands help guide Hong’s hip movements, applying just the right amount of pressure. 

“Ah! Mmh~” Hong moans in response, not wanting this moment to end. As Hong rests himself on one arm, he uses the other to trail his fingers down MinGi’s covered torso and towards his crotch. He grasps at it and gives it a gentle squeeze. 

MinGi’s hip muscles spasm for just a second at Hong’s gentle yet firm touch, resulting in a slight bouncing motion on part of HongJoong. For once, MinGi is not preoccupied with genders and what’s considered gay or not. He’s enjoying the intimate moment with his new friend. This fact is made apparent by the way his hands are traveling up and down Hong’s body-- the way his hands are grasping tirelessly at the red-haired boy’s warm flesh.

As their hips continue to glide against each other effortlessly, Hong lowers himself just enough for their lips to be realigned. He licks at MinGi’s protruding lower lip, then bites at the flesh. As Hong bites down, MinGi’s hands find their way to Hong’s waist for the umpteenth time that evening, his fingers pressing into the divets of Hong’s hips. 

“Ugh! MinGi…” HongJoong moans in a wistful manner. It’s as though MinGi just pressed a button that activates HongJoong’s libido. The feeling of MinGi’s slender fingers dipping perfectly into the crevices of his hips sends Hong into a state of ecstasy. He knocks his head back in response, his hips moving quicker now with a slight bounce added. HongJoong has stiffened beyond imagination and he’s inclined to start freeing himself of his clothing.

‘Damn, he’s good at this…’ MinGi thinks, watching as HongJoong allows himself to fall fully into the moment. Watching HongJoong moan and writhe in pleasure ignites a special kind of hunger in MinGi. In MinGi’s mind, HongJoong looks ready to take it. He seems starved for it… he starts thinking about how good it’d feel to thrust deep into Hong. 

Suddenly, HyunJin’s words begin to echo in MinGi’s mind like a black poison, ruining every thought it touches. MinGi begins to separate himself from the moment in his mind like oil would with water. He’s now at a standstill; his body freezing in an instant. 

HongJoong notices MinGi’s abrupt apprehension and sits upright, lips pouting. “Was that too much?” He asks, panic slowly beginning to fill his chest. Maybe he was a bit too sexual? He didn’t mean to be; he was just feeling himself at the moment. He doesn’t want MinGi to think that he sleeps around, as is a common assumption for men like HongJoong.

MinGi motions for Hong to get off his hips, and once Hong does so, the pair sit upright. There’s an awkward silence and lack of eye contact for a few minutes.

“I’m sorry if I went too far, hyung.” HongJoong expresses with the sincerest of attitudes. MinGi waves his hand as if to indicate that it was okay.

“My bad, my mind just went elsewhere, and I couldn’t continue. Please don’t take that the wrong way.” MinGi states, hoping that Hong doesn’t feel bad or ask him where his mind went.

Hong nods softly. “Was that your first time kissing a man?” He asks, wanting to figure out what went wrong. MinGi looks up at Hong, then back down at the velvet blanket. Hong is experienced when it comes to men, but he couldn’t just assume that that was the case for MinGi. 

“No, it’s not that, trust me. It’s just that HyunJin mentioned something earlier, and I can’t seem to shake it off.” MinGi responds frankly, noticing that Hong suddenly seems fearful. He reaches his hand forward and strokes Hong’s cheek in an effort to comfort him. “I promise you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just fucked up and can’t really focus right now. You deserve a partner who’s able to fully focus on you and give you every bit of their attention.” It’s not a lie, but it isn’t the whole truth either. If MinGi tells HongJoong everything he’s thinking right now, he’ll be forced to confront his hidden feelings about his sexuality. He’d rather not open that can of worms right now. 

Hong leans his face against MinGi’s warm hand and lets out a soft sigh. “Maybe we should head back then? It’s like 3 AM.” He didn’t want this moment to end, but he’s okay if it needs to. 

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. It’s a weeknight after all.” MinGi mutters, reaching forward to place his soft, pink lips on HongJoong’s for a brief moment. HongJoong kisses MinGi back chastely, hoping that MinGi didn’t think he was some sort of slut. He doesn’t have sex with just anyone this quickly, but he feels as though if he went out of his way to explain that to MinGi, it would’ve seemed odd. So, he decides to let things go and not overthink it. 

As the two make their way back to the front of the car, MinGi pulls out of the parking spot and begins the drive back to his apartment. 

“Is it okay if I spend the night?” Hong asks, hopeful that MinGi will say yes. It’s too late for him to uber, and his things are still at MinGi’s house. 

“Yeah, that’s fine. We can cuddle until we fall asleep if you want.” MingGi offers, lowkey hoping that Hong doesn’t oppose. Hong simply nods in response, attempting to hide the large smile that forms on his face. 

With both of their energy levels depleting, the two friends fall back into the pattern of silence that they usually get into when they’re in a car together. 

MinGi’s driving seems surprisingly sober, so Hong has no reason to be overly observant. He allows his eyes to close and eventually ends up falling asleep to the sensation of MinGi’s smooth driving. 

Once MinGi enters his complex’s garage and arrives on the 5th floor, he lightly shakes Hong’s shoulder to wake him up. 

“JJ, we’re here.” He says in a lighter tone. Truth be told, he’s tired but he knows after all the coke he’s snorted there’s no way in hell that he’s going to be able to sleep right away. 

MinGi leads the two out of the car, into the building using his key fob, then towards his apartment’s front door. Hong trails behind him sleepily and dizzily. MinGi unlocks the front door and lets Hong enter first. The two take their shoes off and leave them in the foyer. 

“Grab your bag from the bathroom and meet me upstairs.” MinGi informs Hong, tossing his keys on the marbled kitchen island before making his way to his bedroom through the spiral staircase leading up to his loft. 

Hong follows MinGi’s instructions, grabs his makeup bag, only after cleaning up the mess he made, and carefully makes his way up the stairs, making sure not to fall. 

Hong hasn’t been upstairs just yet. MinGi has a second living room with a desk area and TV set up neatly on the wall. The desk area has a keyboard and microphone seated in front of a brand new iMac. There’s a gray sectional placed against the half wall of the loft. A circular coffee table sits in front of the sectional, a bong seated in the center. There are a few shelved plants on the walls, as well. There’s a door that leads towards MinGi’s bedroom. MinGi’s master bedroom houses a walk-in closet and full-sized bathroom with a jacuzzi tub and standalone shower. It’s very spacious and nicely decorated. It’s also very clean and neat. 

MinGi excuses himself and walks into his bathroom to relieve himself and get changed. He switches from his black, denim outfit to a comfy pair of black boxer briefs and a black tank top. While he changes, Hong waits patiently on the king-sized bed. 

Once MinGi’s done with the restroom, Hong walks into the bathroom to take off his makeup and pee. He’s rather strict about his skincare regimen, making sure to cleanse, tone, and moisturize his face. MinGi thoughtfully left some clothes for Hong to change into on top of the bathroom counter. HongJoong smiles at the kind gesture and changes into the pair of gray sweats and white tee that MinGi left him. 

When he comes out of the bathroom, HongJoong notices a tall glass of water waiting for him on the nightstand closest to him, as well as MinGi laid comfortably under the sheets. After gulping down the glass of water, HongJoong slinks into MinGi’s king bed and makes himself comfortable under the covers. He rests his head on MinGi’s chest, his eyes falling shut with a quickness. 

MinGi comments on how beautiful Hong looks without makeup, in his bare form, but HongJoong has already fallen asleep. 

He’s so adorable… the way his mouth hangs open when he enters a deeper sleep warms MinGi’s heart. He pulls HongJoong closer to him, playing with his hair all while maintaining a chaste attitude towards cuddling. Before he knows it, MinGi’s eyes begin to grow tired, too. Usually, when he parties with HyunJin the way they did tonight, the two don’t end up sleeping. That’s mostly due to the fact that HyunJin never knows when to stop. Once you’re a few lines in, what’s the point in stopping? Hong’s energy allows for a peaceful descent from the high. Tonight, it’s off to dreamland for the pair. 

“Goodnight, Joong.” MinGi whispers, placing a final kiss atop HongJoong’s head before falling asleep himself.


End file.
